Bound

7

"We were foolish to let Xavier go by himself." Pa said.

Looking at the carriage, I stepped back more before turning around and going back inside the house with my hand on my chest.

The sudden urge to vomit becoming strong.

This was the life I had chosen? The life of someone I am marrying... The possibility of Benjamin dying at anytime. I.. I didn't take into consideration, that he could die doing this, at any time. He could be next, buried among the fallen in those woods. It could happen while we traveled. It could happen tomorrow.

Xavier. He was only 25, just got married in the fall. His wife.

"Sybil?" Benjamin's voice snapped me up out my spiral.

"Is this what our life will be like? My life? Always worrying and prayin for you every night and waiting for you to come home safe the next morning?"

I couldn't face him, I didn't want to cry thinking bout his cold body that I'd one-day have to bury or never got to burry.

"Sometimes." He wrapped his arms around me, his warmth comforting. "But I promise you Sybil, I won't let anything happen to you."

I removed myself from his embrace then turned towards him.

"Forget about me for a second. What about you? Who will protect you in those woods from those things? You could die at any moment." The thought setting in my soul, causing me to feel dizzy to the point I couldn't stand.

"Sybil, I know my life may seem uncertain to you right now but I promise you that I'm always protected and I will make sure to come home to you after every hunt no matter what."

His words were kind and filled with compassion but it didn't change nothing for me.

"When if you die out there? Been hunting them damn things for a year now, they still ain't gone. How much longer before you in that box next?" I asked, looking at him with tears streaming down my face now.

All this didn't seem serious to me cuss nobody close to me died from this, till now. The thought of my Pa and Benjamin possibly in those boxes. I couldn't handle it.

He didn't say nothing for a bit, only stood before sighing.

"...I wanted to wait to show you this but I see now is as good's time as any."

He pulled something out his pocket, it was white and letter shaped. He handed it to me.

Looking at the address, it was sent from The Vatican back in October of last year.

Opening it up, I began to read the letter, page by page before closing it and handing it back.

"When I came here to look for vampires for the church, I didn't know I'd fall in love. Then I did, so I wrote them bout you, saying how you were the love of my life and how I wanted this to be my last job before starting a family."

"You're willing to give this up for me so long ago." I said, feeling another surge of tears coming on.

"Of course. I'd give up everything for you, you are the love of my life, I'd do anything to make you happy." He said, putting the letter back in his pocket.

"Now it's not official yet but once I finish up here and do one more job for the church, they'll set us up with our own land and monthly notes." He told me, pulling me into his embrace.

"We could live the life you want." I told him, thinking on his dream of owning a small farm in the country like his brother.

"We can't forget about your dream of being a poet though." I smiled, kissing the back of his hand.

"You remembered?" I hadn't spoken of being a poet since the gathering.

"Of course I did, I remember everything you've told me. Even how you're afraid of spiders, you love sunflowers and hawthorns cuss you used to grow'em with your ma. Your favorite colors, why you hate beige. I remember it all."

"Let's get married tonight." I said without thinkin again.

"What's the rush?" He asked, leaning his head on mine.

"I don't wanna wait no mo cuss tomorrow ain't promised. So let's live now. For each other."

Knowing that I could lose him at any moment made me realize how short our lives are; we could die today and that would be the end.

I didn't need to have a big wedding ceremony to want to get married. I didn't need to be pretty as long as it was perfect for us.

"Your dress ain't done yet n yo mama put a lot of work into making it. Don't want it to go to waste. Let's get married when it's finished." He said, pulling us over to my bed then taking off his shoes and coat.

"I don't care bout no dress." I repeated his words, yawning then rubbing my eyes while he got into bed with me. "I just need you there with me, nobody else." I said, yawning again then feeling the quilt being pulled over me.

"Go to sleep." He said, laying down beside me.

"You got to sleep." I mocked, rubbing my eyes as they began to get heavier and heavier.

"I love you." He told me, kissing the back of my hand.

"I love you too."